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A few semesters ago I was the TA for an undergrad-level class in anthropology on the intersection between health/healing, religion, and magic in different cultures around the world. One of the required books was called Meaning, Medicine, and the "Placebo Effect" by Daniel Moerman. The author argues that cultural meanings and symbols are so powerful that they can create what often gets labelled as a "placebo effect." But these things aren't exactly a true placebo--there is an intervention, the intervention just happens to be a culturally-significant symbol rather than a medication or a surgery or something. Symbols, archetypes, and culturally-significant things can have actual material effects on the body. This insight has really impacted my approach to magic.

It doesn't work. Our will doesn't shape the material world unless it leads us to act in (on) the material world.

The idea is older than Alistair Crowley - maybe from Blavatsky? And it has been a part of our subculture from the beginning. It's been popular among non-Pagan/witch people as well. Despite the idea's longevity, there's no real evidence that it works. Even authors who have claimed to have evidence have either used anecdotes to support it, or have occasionally referenced scientific research which was subsequently discredited.

The single best discussion I've seen of this is more explicitly a discussion of the positive thinking movement in psychology and medicine - Brightsided.

The idea does a lot of harm, and very little psychological good. And it doesn't work - just makes people feel bad when they can't successfully manifest their intentions.

Magic - real, effective magic - is will plus action. And often, we don't have the material or social power to act effectively enough. But sometimes... sometimes we do, and the magic works.

Love the goal!

• Music can be very powerful. When I want to feel badass, I listen to Pretty Reckless, Halestorm, and Lacuna Coil, though of course your tastes may vary.
• Dress like a witch. All black, black lipstick, and I've got one of those pentagram strappy things. I don't even go anywhere, just wearing it at home makes me feel on top of the world.
• Meditate on Sekhmet, asking her to unlock my potential for power and rage and willingness to defend myself. (Imo, it's easier to picture her as a separate being than to think of her as just another part of my psyche.) Definitely turn off the lights and burn something, and use a little incense or herbs that feel regal or 'biting' to me, like Cinnamon, Chili Powder, or Anise.
• This one's going to sound a little weird, but getting a whole bunch of chores done first thing in the morning, before I get dressed or do most of the above helps put me in the right mood. It leaves me feeling strong, capable, and in charge.

You just happened to bump into a geologist, so if you need a recommendation on a book for learning about minerals and rocks, I'd point you to this book. :)

This is a comment I left for a similar post. I've tried re-writing it three times now, and something keeps stopping me (my phone even crashed at one point!). Apparently the universe doesn't want me to share it!

There's a link to a secular Witch blog, and recommendations for Arin Murphy-Hiscock's books. Green's you've already read.

As I say there, there just isn't much catered to us at the moment. I guess one of us is going to have to write it!

I recommend The Placebo Magick Podcast to anyone who hasn't checked it out yet. It's awesome and he talks about specifically moving our minds in and out of "magical thinking" headspace in order to sneak logical mindfulness and intention setting through our inherently superstitious minds.

Yup. I do a lot of Tarot work and have a bunch of decks. My favorite deck is my Miss Cleo deck It just cracks me up, that its Miss Cleo but man... the art is great, the card stock is just amazing and it just cracks me up. I like to think you can be serious and silly at the same time. Why have one flavor when you can have stew?

If you're not aware of Matt Lucas, he got famous for doing a comedy skit show called Little Britain. It included these characters along with ableism (a character who pretended he was disabled but was actually "just lazy") and classism (character called Vicky Pollard who drew from many UK stereotypes of working class girls. The character was incredibly dumb and had multiple children from multiple fathers. I think so many she couldn't keep track of the dad? Matt Lucas and his comedy partner David Walliams are both from well-off backgrounds, BTW. Also David Walliams' children's book series is a minefield of awfulness in itself.) Also, so, so, SO much trans/NBphobia (character who it was never defined if they were a crossdresser or transgender, most of the "jokes" revolved around "bloke in a dress" skits with the phrase "I'm a lady!" usually swiftly followed by the character switching to an overly-masculine voice to be threatening to people who questioned their gender. Yeah.)

The pair have apologised for doing blackface now, but they used to defend it. They've only really apologised once it was affecting their career opportunities, basically.

I'm not a fan of either of them, personally.

If you're up for it, you should read a book on quantum physics. The one I picked is called How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog, but there's other types of "for dummies" books out there.

My first thought in reading your comment was that I had a couple of books to recommend, but then I pulled them out and well... they don't quite hit the mark on medicinal info that I'd remembered. That said, the recommended reading in the back of THE NEW AMERICAN HERBAL, which is more about growing herbs than medicinal uses, has some interesting recommendations. This one seems the most promising: https://smile.amazon.com/Medical-Herbalism-Principles-Practices-Medicine/dp/0892817496/

Hello, fellow vampire. The sun is just too bright for me! Also +1 on liking thunderstorms. I find them relaxing.

For meditation, I found that doing it while walking is much easier for me than sitting. I guess my body just needs something to occupy it while my brain is trying to calm down. Also, when I do fidget, it doesn't pull me out of the experience.

You could try decorating with light! With one of these, you could create the visual experience of sitting next to a pool at night. Also ambient sounds from MyNoise can do amazing things.

I am lucky enough to have a balcony where I grow some simple edible plants, and a closed terrarium for indoors. I can't have ANY exposed plants, not even mint propagating in a cup of water, thanks to a certain furry feline friend who eats them all. Can't do real candles either, and it's probably for the best because they aren't super great for indoor air quality, so I do flameless, rechargable ones when I want the setting of a bunch of candles. Don't have to worry about burning the place down while I'm at it, either.

Well I'm glad to know I'm not the only one!

Oh dear, if I promise to post a picture, I'll never get around to it, but I can post the links where I bought both Guter and my other witchy 'guardian', Rosebud (arachnophobia warning). Rosebud is too fragile for night snuggling but she's great for stress relief during the day, just holding her while I read a book. Both were a MASSIVE splurge, but I love seeing them perched on my bookshelf all day, overlooking the living room like fluffy gargoyles.

Rosebud is super soft and a little delicate, and she's almost an avatar of myself, reminding me that if I can treat this 'object', this imaginary 'person', with this much care, surely I can do the same for myself. I've been experimenting with using them in meditation too, stroking their fur as a focus: it makes delving into my own psyche a little less frightening.

I am so sorry.

I recently had a loss in my family and I'm working with a therapist who does the Grief Recovery Method. You can actually do it on your own using this book.

It's been helping.

If you like Fungi, read this book. It's an awesome description of the variety of fungi and how they tie ecosystems together (e.g. one fir in a 30'x30' plot being connected to 47 other trees through fungal networks). Definitely changed the way I see nature, although its probably a bit popsci for our biology specialty folks.

https://www.amazon.com/Entangled-Life-Worlds-Change-Futures/dp/0525510311

I highly recommend Seventy Eight Degrees of Self Awareness: A Tarot Journey to Self-Awareness by Rachel Pollack. Very in depth but easily digestible. Check out the Fool's Journey as well. Not a book, just another interpretation of the Major Arcana.

Not OP but I've also been doing tarot for a while. As far as free resources go, the app GoldenThread Tarot allows you to a daily draw, different spreads and has a tarot teaching section with minimal ads. Biddy Tarot online is also a good resource that goes in depth with the interpretations of the cards. BUT don't rely too heavily on the strict definitions.

As far as books go, Intuitive Tarot is probably one of the better books I've read recently.

I don't use headspace, but they have a good breakdown of the many types of meditation. I personally (as someone with ADHD) really do well with noting, which is a type of insight meditation. I used the app Brightmind for a while, but I've learned the techniques well enough that I don't need the app anymore.

I have tried sounds before but those alone haven't been stimulating enough? i think that's the right way to phrase that. I'll for sure try combo-ing that with some of the other strategies that I've seen mentioned tho thank you for reminding me!

Also for anyone scrolling though this looking for help mynoise.net is an awesome sound generator highly recommend it! :D

If you're okay with chaos magic, two of the books on the wiki actually have direct links provided (Stealing the Fire from Heaven by Mace and the Psychonaut comic), as well as the poetry texts.

The fiction books and the books marked *not witch specific might also be carried more easily by a library.

If you're lucky enough to live in a country where Overdrive is present and your library is a member of the network, you can borrow ebooks through there I think. If it's not overdrive, your library might have a similar system in place to borrow ebooks from a huge online catalog.

Otherwise most of these are available in ebook format or as used copies around the internet. If you need to convert ebooks from one format to another for easier reading, I recommend Calibre, a great (and totally free!) piece of software for ebook conversion and management.

Sure. You have to be careful when picking them out, as there's several in the app store (cellphones don't have quantum processors), but that just use local number generator with quantum-focused libraries. They aren't real quantum RNGs but mimics. So you have to look for ones that access an external Quantum Random number API on a server.

This one, does just that: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.crimsonlabs.orlovcs.reaction&hl=en_US&gl=US

Tarot for Dummies is actually a great starting point for skeptical witches, I think. It explains the meanings of the cards and gives some spreads, but it isn't written assuming that magic is real, and makes reference to its use as a tool for psychology and self reflection.

I also recommended the Raider Waite Smith deck to all beginners (and it's the one referenced in the book), because it's the OG and many of the meanings are demonstrated literally in the cards. It's a good start for figuring out what you want from your deck. I'm pretty sure you can get access to free "print your own" copies of the deck too, as it's out of copyright.

If you're into more shadow work and are okay with darker subjects (history of animal sacrifices, using human remains in magic) then I suggest this one. Very insightful book that approaches harsher magic very delicately. The author has a chapter dedicated to menstrual cycle work and it's uses for a witch.

Note: the book does not endorse any black magic it teaches but one must be educated and make their own choices, not have someone else decide what is right and wrong. She supplies many substitutions to older spells that suggest items like skulls and cows tongues to more present day, safer alternatives that still speak to the spells power and intention.

Double note: If you're interested in just the menstrual stuff I can take some screenshots and dm them to you just lmk

Yesss this concept is really working for me lately. I recently read Widen the Window by Dr. Elizabeth Stanley and it goes into a lot of detail about how useful it is to learn how to direct your attention, that way if you're freaking out you can focus on neutral/nice stuff in your environment to convince your lizard brain that you're safe and it's okay to stop freaking out. If ritual helps you do that, great! Personally, I find a lot of guided meditations pretty boring, feeling like a badass witch really helps me actually make time to calm my mind and work on my concentration.

Succulent Wild Woman by Sark! A million times this book I wish I had this book when I was 15! So amazing get this book!

https://www.amazon.com/Succulent-Wild-Woman-Sark/dp/068483376X

The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk So much good stuff hidden in a "fantasy" novel. Starhark is ecofeminist witch. So good! Everyone needs this book!

I bought these from Amazon for my mom for her birthday and they are really beautiful, definitely even better in person than online. Bonus that they’re pretty affordable also :)

So I see a lot of you asking about brewing. Brewing doesn’t have to be a expensive, complicated, large batch affair. My husband went from being a hobby brewer to a professional and still recommends this book as being a favorite introductory book. True Brews by Emma Christensen she has incredibly clear instructions and explains what things you absolutely need to buy. She also lives in a tiny apartment in the Bay Area so doesn’t think you need a ton of equipment. She focuses on understanding basics like the importance of cleaning and safety while carbonating (if that’s something you do). It covers beer, kombucha, sake, wine, soda, and or course mead.

This is the exact one that I have, but I’m a strong proponent of just grabbing any notebook or even loose leaf paper and just starting. Doesn’t have to be pretty

I really like this book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Tarot-Practical-Guide/dp/1507201877

it's very fortune-teller, "tell it like it is" interpretations.

This one is really helpful for me to work with and accommodate difficult emotions https://youtu.be/c552DrMzq5s

Also, check out the app insight timer (link below). You can filter meditation tracks by length, practice, music, and more! I highly recommend. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spotlightsix.zentimerlite2

You don't ever have to apologize for being manipulated by an abusive partner. That shame is theirs. There are some really good online resources for navigating a relationship with an abusive person when you have to stay in their lives. Here's a starting point - https://www.amazon.com/Will-Ever-Free-You-High-Conflict/dp/1476755728.

I use moon phase Download from Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.moonphase.b_watchwidget&hl=en because it's very basic and has a cool widget as well. I didn't want anything but the phase of the moon widget.

"Moon Phase Calendar" if you're on Android! I have a lovely phasing moon widget on my home screen, lots of information in a clear layout inside app (including a monthly calendar and solar info), does have ads because it's free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.probadosoft.moonphasecalendar

My grimoire is a blank unlined leather journal. I started off with adding symbols and different types of herbs and their uses as a basic reminder. Then what types of teas I make. It's not meant to be for anyone other than me.

I found that writing with a different style of penmanship helps. I usually use a very Greek style script but for my Grimoire I chose to copy a totally different font based on p22 grosvenor font and it makes it work for me. I also use one specific quill pen. I added stickers from a botany book to it because I am terrible at drawing plants. https://www.amazon.com/Botanists-Sticker-Anthology-DK/dp/0744036720

I add poems that I like and don't have a specific rule.

I have a small cast iron cauldron that I use for burning all my spells. Something like this.

I enjoyed The Path of Paganism by John Beckett. It’s probably a bit dry for your daughter, but you might find it good research for yourself. I particularly like that (1) he is emphatically SASS, coming from an engineering background and (2) he outlines different focuses of Paganism - earth, ancestor, community, personal - and discusses how one, some, or all can play a part in pagan practice depending on the person.

I think you might like Deborah Blake's work.

https://smile.amazon.com/Eclectic-Witchs-Book-Shadows-Fingertips/dp/0738765325/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2SL769WG74NPQ&keywords=book+of+shadows&qid=1661344925&sprefix=book+of+s%2Caps%2C2728&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/Medicinal-Herbs-Immune-Defense-Fighting/dp/1643260669

It's basically herbal recipes for helping with colds flu etc...

I know exactly what you mean. I started my kitch-witch trajectory with those books too and thought they were fine but not super actionable for me personally. Let me introduce you to my favorite book of all time: The Hearth Witch's Compendium by Anna Franklin. I picked this beauty up at my local pagan store last month and it's already dog-eared and filled in with some of my own favorite recipes!! A ridiculous wealth of home recipes in the old-school hippy / homesteading style.

I also enjoyed The Witch's Book of Self-Care by Arin Murphy-Hiscock (also gave copies of this one as gifts!) and Your Brain On Plants by Nicolette Perry, but found neither as immediately actionable or referential as the former. I'm seriously in love with that book.

If you like the idea of using water, but want to feel more special than something you drink every day, perhaps you could use sparkling water. Or you could add edible glitter: it works very well in a clear liquid: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ND6FHP1/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I hate post an amazon link, but their interface is handy for seeing all the varieties it comes in. You can probably purchase it elsewhere.

Then there is so much that isn't about your physical body that you can work on, so I'd focus on that.

Stuff like:

Lucid Dreaming

Astral Projection

Meditation

Self-Hypnosis

Chanting/Mantras/Song

Memory Palaces

Psi/Intuition skill development

etc.

Also, nothing says you can't use electronics to make your life easier.

If shuffling a tarot deck is a problem, find an online or phone app.

If candle magic is a concern, buy a 36 pack of battery powered tea lights for $13 on amazon https://www.amazon.com/Flameless-Vivii-Battery-powered-Unscented-Tealights/dp/B01MQ1Q3R1 and put them in shatterproof translucent plastic glasses and proceed from there. Zero fire risk and if you smash one, you've only lost 30 cents.

If a sigil is hard to carve, try using a paint program and saving it automatically so you don't lose it if things go haywire.

You have all kinds of options.

This is just a general overview, since you didn't mention specifically what you were into, but if there's something specific that you'd like some suggestions for, just say so.

Have fun! :)

An this pocket guide by the same author is a budget-friendly option for someone who maybe doesn't want to read a whole book or wants to get started right away.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Sick-Pocket-Companion/dp/1614296766

> destroy/transform the tangible remains

If you can't burn yet, may I offer an interim step to destroy/transform for future burning - making paper bricks to burn later? Your littles might enjoy helping with the shaping process.

https://www.instructables.com/Paper-Bricks-free-fuel-from-recycled-paper/

FWIW, if non-cooking fires are legal, I have this spherical firepit that really encloses everything and would likely be okay in a driveway 15 feet from a building.

How would you feel about using a propane fire pit?

Outland Living Firebowl 893 Deluxe Outdoor Portable Propane Gas Fire Pit with Cover & Carry Kit, 19-Inch Diameter 58,000 BTU, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KY4S388/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VF23KT1FJFCYQG0RD8MY

Have you ever read the book <em>Why Woo-Woo Works</em>? It's an actual scientific-method look at a lot of the metaphysical movements of modern day and explaining what's going on. It's potentially worth your attention -- I found it pretty interesting.

What about Touch the Earth, Kiss the Sky: Allowing the Rational Mind to Welcome Magic and Spirituality by Diotima Martineia?

https://www.amazon.com/Touch-Earth-Kiss-Sky-Spirituality/dp/0738761346

She has a degree in crop and soil science as well as years of yoga, tarot and other New Age practices.

Side note - do you need a deck? I have a deck I was going to rehome since I have another by the same artist that I prefer, and instead of selling it I feel pulled to offer it to you. I don’t know where you are, but if you cover shipping I’ll send it to you! I’ve been sitting on this deck unused for months, and when I read that your diy deck is causing issues for you shuffling, I just felt compelled to ask if you’d rather have this one.

This is the deck: Tarot Grand Luxe https://www.amazon.com/dp/157281974X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_P0VD4HCAYR4NN9FZ1BA7

I just started reading with this cat deck! I love that one, too!! Cat Tarot: 78 Cards & Guidebook (Whimsical and Humorous Tarot Deck, Stocking Stuffer for Kitten Lovers) https://www.amazon.com/dp/145217363X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_705GF8553WGCB7RCTDRB?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

Pandeism: An Anthology, edited by Knujon Mapson.

They've got a websiteas well. It sounds really interesting, especially because it tackles both sides, so there are arguments for and against the philosophy, as well as comparisons between Pandeism and various religions written by followers of those religions. It's the first of a series, so here's hoping it's at least as good as Godless Paganism, which blew my mind about every other day!

If you have Kindle Unlimited on Amazon, this book is free to borrow:

https://www.amazon.com/DIY-Origami-Beginners-Step-Step-ebook/dp/B082FS475V/ref=sr\_1\_10?crid=2MEMGOPMEGA41&amp;keywords=origami&amp;qid=1648059626&amp;s=digital-text&amp;sprefix=origami%2Cdigital-text%2C128&amp;sr=1-10

Have you read Camus-the stranger yet? It’s known as amazing lit but also the doorway to the occult. But my favorite of his was the plague because of the rat’s perspective.

I really enjoyed this book. Idk if it’s totally free of woo but the framing is more like - they did this to achieve that. And it explains why some of the folk medicine worked.

Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic from Appalachia https://www.amazon.com/dp/1578636531/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_NTKSTPQC91Y7BDRR54GP

Remember. What you read about is not the same as what you believe. Nothing wrong with learning about the other side of the fence. And by reading the Satanic Witch poolside-I avoided all unwanted interaction. Even in a bikini. (Don’t recommend that book but maybe the dust jacket).

Found it! Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief https://www.amazon.com/dp/034544034X/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_DHBG001Z0VQRY0454QC0

I think it was a book I loaned out and never got back! Good thing I'm a bit of a hoarder. I still had the syllabus. I took the class in the Spring of 2002. Lol! I really liked that class, so I saved the notes and things. The other books we read were:

The Beginner's Guide to Insight Meditation by Arinna Weidman and Jean Smith

God's Debris by Scott Adams

The Mind's Road to God by Saint Bonaventura

The Spiritual Exercises of Saying Ignatius

I have been checking on this post every now and then hoping to see some ideas pop up because I am also trying to incorporate more sensory things into my "tools".
I don't have experience enough seeing witch's ladders to know of a good suggestion but today I saw some of these and I thought maybe this is a good choice.

I have been making "magic snow globes" and I made some "divination slime".
Cheers for other ND Sass witches!

As a psychologist I can say that magic and psychology are not mutually exclusive. This book, by another psychologist, is a really interesting read about the power of some sort of spiritual practice.

The Awakened Brain: The Psychology of Spirituality and Our Search for Meaning https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08WHDBKTK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_glt_NPWBSTVYRH4MJTP2RWDA

There are a lot of practitioners and researchers within the world of psychology and mental health more generally who are rejecting a narrow, mechanistic, CBT-is-king worldview. Look into models like Internal Family Systems therapy, Somatic Experiencing, EMDR and the reawakening field of psychedelic assisted therapy and you'll find people who are more open to the idea that we're not just bags of meat with a computer processer in our heads.

When the stumps are fresh you can inoculate them with mushrooms and seal with wax. fungi plugs

Every fall they should sprout for you, and you can cook with your trees!

I personally have a copy of Medical Herbalism by David Hoffman ( go to amazon /Medical-Herbalism-Principles-Practices-Medicine/dp/0892817496). It is a wonderfully put together scientific compendium of plants, their uses, known bio and phytochemistry, useful parts, and methods of application. One of my favorite purchases to date!

I have this morning ritual journal. Even if I don't fill in every spot every day, it's a nice way to start off my morning. I light a candle, write down three things I'm grateful for, tune in to the moon phase and do a small tarot spread. Sometimes it's three cards, sometimes it's just a single pull from an oracle deck. But it's five minutes to myself each morning and I find that it makes a huge difference in my outlook for the day (unless I pull the Tower card, like I did last week and I 100% chose chaos that day lol).

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Good for you for addressing your mental health though. A morning ritual is just one more tool in your toolkit that makes up all the little things throughout the day that can help us make it through.

43 here, and it's been so disconcerting to feel my body change. I was also single when I turned 40 and feeling kind of blah about my career at the time, so the hormonal changes kind of felt like the last straw. But I feel like I've sort of settled into that things I used to take for granted (like my every 28 days cycle) are shifting and will be for a long time.

For tarot, I've read for many years and also teach. And I pretty much use the same spread all of the time. It can be fun to play with different spreads, but I've come to like the consistency. My favorite spread is a variation on the Celtic Cross that's in most tarot books. But if you're still learning, three card spreads are the way to go. It's not too much information at once. My favorite is opportunity, challenge, resolution - basically one card for what's showing up in my life right now, one card for what challenge I'm facing, and one charge with some sort of strategy or advice about how to face that challenge. The key is to set aside 15 or 30 minutes to read, and then journal out (especially long hand) what the cards mean to you that day.

On the more physical side, I found the advice in this book to be really helpful. It's geared towards athletes, but it has a chapter on menopause with advice that also applies to peri - simple advice like eating more protein, eating more often, and choosing exercise that will build some muscle. But more than anything, it was helpful to see someone talking about how women can stay strong and active way past their 40s. I also see a functional medicine doc who tested my hormones and put me on DIM to help reduce the excess estrogen in my system. It's helped a bunch.

My current favs… I often use these together during readings

Wayward Dark Tarot (Thoth inspired, macabre imagery, blacks/greyscale/white imagery) https://etsy.me/2WycW3g

Dreams of Gaia Tarot Pocket edition (beautiful, colorful, non-traditional imagery) https://www.amazon.com/dp/192553863X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_R28QRQF4XTN2ZY4573ZT

I bought the Raben (raven) Tarot for the artwork, but it’s been working so good that I don’t see myself using another deck anytime soon. I mainly use it for self reflection and calming down when I’m worried, as it’s quite nice to pull a card indicating success when you’re about to write an exam ;)

Check out @DrBodyMindSoul on Instagram. She's a medical doctor with an interest in alternative and complementary approaches to health and she has a podcast looking at evidence for them.

I'm reading a book she recently reviewed called "Why Woo Woo Works" by Dr David Hamilton which reviews the evidence base for a number of new age approaches. He talks critically about how the modern scientific approach doesn't actually lend itself well to studying holistic disciplines because it is based on a medical model that assumes there is one active ingredient that can be isolated. However in setting up studies like this you lose a lot of the context that seems to be crucial in holistic approaches (e.g genuine connection between people, soothing environment, times of heightened emotion etc).

I also recently read and enjoyed this:

The Awakened Brain: The Psychology of Spirituality and Our Search for Meaning https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08WHDBKTK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_glt_B6299D65476GZ7N1NVSY

This is not exactly what you are looking for, but there is a book called God’s Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine and it’s sequel called Slow Medicine by Victoria Sweet that look very closely at how one doctor and hospital come to combine modern medicine and the healing practices of the Middle Aged (herbs especially but many different things). I have not yet read the second book but loved the first. It is a slow read, in that there’s no big action or events, but it’s fascinating.

https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Hotel-Hospital-Pilgrimage-Medicine/dp/1594486549

I've got a few books by Arin Murphy-Hiscock about Green Witch and House Witch, and the Witchs book of self care, and whilst I'm only about a quarter of the way through the Green Witch book its more about listening to the elements and the environment around you (be that inside or outside).

Theres a few rituals included and talks of intentions, and references to the elements more than deity worship.

As a bit of a kitche/green witch beginner myself I've found these books a nice starting point personally. UK Amazon link to the Airn Murphy-Hiscock books

I'm also queer/some form of genderweird, and I feel your struggle! IF it helps at all, there's a lovely collaborative Pride Tarot set that I use, that plays with and subverts a lot of binary notions. It's on Amazon here (https://www.amazon.com/Pride-Tarot-U-S-Games-Systems/dp/1646710037) but you can probably find it at a local shop closed to you (I bought mine in a hole-in-the-wall shop in Oslo, Norway). I don't work with it a ton because I don't often have the urge, but it makes me happy every time I pick it up!

There's a lot of really good answers here, so I won't go into depth of what I do (up bless you're interested).

What I do want to share is a beautiful book I read recently about the benefits of ritual for atheists: The Power of Ritual by Casper Ter Kuile

It's a short book by an atheist who went to Divinity school. Really interesting and helpful for me in building my practice.

Following up on this as I am now off work with time to search around for links. :)

My older one is one of these (I did not buy it from Amazon, but for an idea and what it looks like) and the newer one I use is this one (purchased mine from Mermade as linked, but available other places also, she is sold out). Mermade here also sells the foil cups and individual foils, but small squares of traditional foil will work just as well and make clean up a breeze.

Hope that helps for an idea of what they look like, etc.

Totally agreed! It's why I wanted to get more in touch with my cycle in a magically way, because I want to take advantage of the way the hormones change our moods and energies.

I recommend her books probably once a week on here, but have you read anything by Maisie Hill? She's just realised a book called Peri menopause power which is a follow up to Period Power. It basically starts from the principal that different parts of the hormone cycle create different moods. Reading it started me on this journey to begin with!

I also totally love the feminine death association. I'm no expert, but isn't there a two sided female goddess duo in a culture around life and death? Hinduism maybe?

It got a sequel in 2020 too!

https://www.amazon.ca/Spell-Wheels-Just-Get-You/dp/1506714773/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=spells+on+wheels+2&amp;qid=1613366336&amp;sr=8-1

I use incense or an essential oils diffuser. I have a lot of different blends from Arin Murphy-Hiscock"s books. I'm going to use one on my new home, just so it feels more like a blank slate!

Gabriela Herstik has a grounding ritual in her book that brought me alot of serenity, it helps me banish negativity. Bewitching the Elements: A Guide to Empowering Yourself Through Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit https://www.amazon.com/dp/059308621X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_QMUZFbS3QBDWG Also, she talks about her daily practice in this article (about halfway down “What are some ways you keep yourself grounded..” question):

https://flaunt.com/content/gabriela-herstik

Also, maybe do a cleansing of your home and put protective crystals in the four corners of your home, or at least of your bedroom. Lastly, the figures / whoever are bothering you... try getting angry, tell them (out loud, yell it) to go f* themselves and to get the flip out (out of your head, your house, etc)! Stand up to them. It’ll work for awhile. Best of luck!

For those interested, here is a more reliable source on blue light: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side

Additionally, there are many apps out there that can help adjust both the brightness and color of your screen. I use the Twilight app on my phone, and it works excellently. I really appreciate that I can turn the brightness of my screen down past what my normal settings allow, since even the dimmest level on my phone's regular settings is too bright sometimes.

The Path: Psychomancy by Astora Diam explains the mundane psychology behind a bunch of basic occult techniques. https://www.amazon.com/Path-Psychomancy-Astora-Diam-ebook/dp/B08F2YD1GM

BlueFluke's guide.

The Path: Psychomancy by Astora Diam. Ebook is only 3.99. https://www.amazon.com/Path-Psychomancy-Astora-Diam-ebook/dp/B08F2YD1GM

Condensed Chaos, Initiation into Hermetics, and Core Shamanism. A bit more expensive.

The Lesser Key of Solomon.

The Path: Psychomancy by Astora Diam is really good for beginning witches who want the technique and can add their own spiritual reasoning. https://www.amazon.com/Path-Psychomancy-Astora-Diam-ebook/dp/B08F2YD1GM

It's not a replacement for therapy, having an outside perspective is irreplaceable, but you can self teach some of the strategies and lessons of CBT.

There's lots of books out there, but this is the one I've used

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00GU35JB6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2fulFb9EQFBC4

Just remember that if you don't actually engage with the exercises in there you're unlikely to get anything out of it.

Someone on Reddit once recommend Six Ways by Aidan Wachter and I've found it to be pretty good. It's kinda deep, but an excellent resource.

https://www.amazon.com/Six-Ways-Approaches-Entries-Practical/dp/0999356607